Buckle



lMmh 20,1928. 1,662,840 C. C. WOLVERTON BUCKLEv A I Filed Nov. l20. 1926 1= IE. 1V Hq P. 'I .IEY 3 /fo INVENToR.

, ATroRNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATI-11's ra-,151?.NT4 OFFICE.

CLAIR C. WOLVEBTON, F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANL frf :melun j Application med November 2o, 192s'. n serial No. 149,749.

This invention relates'to a buckle construction particularlyysuitable for a hopple.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a buckle `for a hopple construction 6 which is relatively sini le in character and which will permit of re atively quick adjustment of the hopple and which also is vso ar- -ranged that it will prevent pivotal Inovement in the` vhopple from ring to ring breaking from a pacing gait, a hopple con-V struction is generally utilized. The desirable features to vbe obtained in a hopple construction are minimum interference withthe horse when pacing and sulicient interference when otherwise traveling toremind the horse that the other gait is not a pace. The most satisfactory hopple heretofore employed has consisted of a pair of rings in alignment with each other for the front and rear legs, the same being connected together to reach straps which are laced together, the lacing passing through a plurality of registering a5 holes in each of the parallel positioned reach straps. The aforesaid construction has the advantage that no pivot is provided between the rings, whereby the rings would pivot relative to the plane of alignment, it being understood, of course, that the rings do have slight but suicient bending movement by reason of the flexibility of the straps. I-Iowever, with a laced construction, to readily adjust the same requires that the entire lacing be removed and then replaced'in the registering openings after the parallel reach straps have been shifted relatively of each other. Y

The present invention permits the construction of a hopple having substantially no pivotal movement other than that found in the laced hopple construction and which will permit ready and almost instantaneousv adjustment. In fact, the adjustment may be madewhile the hopple is positioned on the horse. The simplified construction consists of a pair of tongues or extensionsy of one portion of the reach which is 'associated with a multiple buckle, the present invention, the same being arranged for non-pivotal move-l ment but lpermitting sliding movementy of said tongues.

In the drawings 10 indicates the ring portion's,'11 the carrier portions, and 12 the-r reach ystraps which are divided from the encircling;v loop 13, forming the branches or tongues 14, said branches or tongues having a plurality of registering apertures 15. The other ring 10 forms` a loop 16 and said loop 16 passes through an opening 17 in the plate 18 of the multiple buckle. The plate 18 has a single. extension 19 or equivalent means, which isadapted to lie4 parallel to the straps forming the ring`10 adjacent the pivot or loop 16, and thus preventsl relative pivotal movement ofthe buckle and the loop 16. `A pair of rectangular openings 20 are provided by the connecting portion 21 or opposite end of the buckle and the rectangular open framework 22 positioned in ay plane substantially transverse to the plane of the body portion of the buckle. The body portion 21 of the buckle from the rectangular frame 22 to substantially the opening 17, is provided with an elongated slot 23. Slidably mounted in said slot is a pin 24 having the pointed extensions 25 extending oppositely of each other and in alignment with each other and the collar retaining portions 26, thereby preventing transverse movement of the buckle pin in the elongated slot 23.

Each of the reach strap tongue portions 14 ispositioned in one of the rectangular openings 20 of the framework 2,2 and the extended portion lies parallel to the body portion of the buckle when said buckle separates said tongues. When the pin 24 is moved to the end of the .slot adjacent openin 17 the tongues 14 can be spread apart an thek pointed ends 25 of the pin 24 inserted in the desired pair of registering apertures 15. Following this insertion the buckle construction, or the pin and tongues, are moved, and relatively of each other, so that the pin is positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, adjacent the frame portion 22. The free ends of the tongues then are positioned in the loops 27 carried by ring 10 including the otal movement.

buckle receiving uloop 16, While a slidably supported encircling loop 28carried by the reach portion 12 fis slid along said reach straps until it substantially abuts the framework 22.

The resultant construction is one Where-.

in from ring to ring there is no pivot. The only possible pivot by reason of loop 16 being a non-pivotal arrangement since the tongue 19 is providedV to prevent such pv lThere is no possibility of the connectionbecoming disconnected since the several loops 27 and 28 positively lock the relativelymovable part-s in the adjusted position. Y

i When it is desired to adjust the reach the tongues 14 are freed from the loops 27 and loop 28 .is retracted. The buckle is then moved towards the other ring until the pin 24 is positioned at the `far end of the slot 23,

. that is, nearest the tongue 19. When in :thisj position the several `tongues 14 are vmoved outwardly to :tree them from projecting ends of the pin 24. The entire mechanism is then adjusted so that the pins 25 Will be repositioned in the selected pair of registering openings 15` following which the parts are repositioned as heretoforedescribecl.'

vFrom the foregoing` it will be apparent that the hopple construction includes substantially no pivotal arrangements and,

therefore,V will have rectilinear movement only and Will be readily adjustable.

The invention claimed is: 1. A multiple buckle, comprising a pair of transversely positioned sockets, a connecting portion therebetween adapted to divide one ofsaid sockets rinto a multiple socket, and means slidably mounted on said connecting Limewire-- A multiple buckle including a .pairiof rectangular vsockets positioned transversely of eachother, an elongated longitudinally extending connecting portion uniting the` same in rigid relation and a fixed distance apart, and "meansslidably mounted on the",

connecting portionindependent of the lon itudinal socket and cooperating Withft e H 60 transverse socket. y y A y p., 4 5.1A multiple "buckle including` a" pairof rectangular sockets vpositioned transversely ofeach' other',` an elongated longitudinally extending connecting portion unitingthe same in rigidfrelation and '-afixed distance apart, means slidably mounted thereon for cooperationwith the socket positionedtransversely of ,thel sliding movement, and an'ei# tension upon the other or non-cooperating socket for rigid anchorage of the Vbucklein predetermined position Y 6. A device as defined 'by claimt 5 charac-` terized by said buckle-positioning extension' extending oppositely lfrom said socket `and in alignment with said connection portion.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

Y VCLAIR o. WoLvERToN. 

